Cruise: Long Beach

Carnival Cruise Line Signs Agreement to Expand Terminal Operations at the Port of Long Beach

Dome housing the Long Beach Cruise Terminal with Carnival Line vessel at berth and historic liner Queen Mary in the sheltered basin
Photo/Carnival Corp.

Carnival Cruise Line has signed an agreement with landlord Urban Commons and the City of Long Beach to expand the Long Beach Cruise Terminal. The deal will nearly triple the size of the facility Carnival now leases from approximately 66,000 square feet to 142,000 square feet.

Carnival has operated the Long Beach Cruise Terminal since 2003 using a partial area of the Geodesic Dome that once housed Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose" attraction. The agreement gives Carnival full use of the dome, allowing for larger ships and providing space for two-way operations, enabling embarking guests to access the terminal prior to completion of disembarkation.

Plans also include expansion of portside cold-ironing capacity to accommodate larger vessels. In addition, Carnival is working with Urban Commons on enhancements to the area surrounding the dome and the adjacent Queen Mary attraction, as well as ways to expand parking capacity. Construction is slated for completion by late 2017.

Carnival’s Long Beach homeported ships, the recently enhanced Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination, operate year-round three- and four-day Baja cruises. A third ship, Carnival Miracle, sails seven-day voyages to the Mexican Riviera and 14- and 15-day cruises to Hawaii and Alaska from Long Beach.  

"For years we have been working toward reaching an agreement to expand the Long Beach Cruise Terminal to accommodate larger ships on the West Coast, and we're thrilled to finally be able to move forward with our plans to assume full usage of the Dome, making Long Beach one of our largest homeport facilities," said Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy.